What to Cook This October
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on October 1, 2024
October is here, hooray! The cooler weather is most welcome. I’m looking forward to a cozy fall and the holidays, but I might love these glorious sunny days in between seasons the most. As the weather cools down, let’s mark the time with warm apple crisp, hearty chili, and wholesome pumpkin bread. You’ll find more seasonal recipes to enjoy below, and I have a full line-up of new recipes coming your way this fall.
October will be a big month for the blog. I’m finally ready to launch a redesigned website with great new features to help you find exactly what you want to cook. This redesign has been in the works for over three years (!), and I’m so excited to share it with you. Keep an eye out!
Apples
Healthy Apple Muffins
Easily gluten free and easily vegan (see notes)
“Made them this morning with one Granny Smith and one Macintosh. Your recipe is fantastic! The rose so well, made a beautiful crust and were nice and tender inside. Taste was great!” – Pierre
Beets
Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach
Gluten free and vegan
“This could be THE best salad I have ever made. I have a vegan friend who I am always trying to find interesting recipes for and she also loved it. I made it exactly as per your recipe apart from adding a mixture of toasted almond flakes and pumpkins seeds.” – Heather
Broccoli
Broccoli, Cheddar & Quinoa Gratin
Gluten free
“This was so good! I’ve been trying to find one dish recipes that can also feed baby and this was perfect! I was almost too lazy to make the breadcrumbs but I’m so glad I did because it was simple and and so worth it! I also used a bit of cauliflower because I had it and it was good in there too. I think I’m going to make this again and bring it to Easter! It’s a perfect healthier version of a classic!” – Stephanie
Cabbage
Hot Pink Coconut Slaw
Gluten free and vegan
“This was delicious! We devoured it all. Our 3-year-old even said “Num, num!” and she is not usually a huge cabbage fan.” – Amanda
Carrots
Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup
Gluten free and vegan
“Today was our first cool day for the season. When I stepped outside for my morning walk I knew I would be making this soup for dinner. It was so good. Thanks so much for choosing to share this tasty recipe. I can’t wait to get Angela’s new cookbook.” – Cathy
Cauliflower
Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
Gluten free and vegan
“I’ve never had cauliflower rice before, but a Google search took me to this recipe, which I made tonight. It was absolutely delicious and I have enough leftovers to use as a side dish tomorrow night I highly recommend it!” – Deirdre
Corn
Fresh Black Bean Salad
Gluten free and vegan
“I made this when we were on vacation this summer, and we had it with tostadas as chips to scoop it up. My ten-year-old son said “best dinner ever!” It was scrumptious. I’ve made it a couple times now, and I love having it on hand in the fridge for snacks or easy meals. Yum! Delish and very fresh testing!” – E
Cucumber
Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
Easily vegan
“This is SO delicious I absolutely love how all the flavors work together & that mint dressing is incredibly yummy! Thanks Kate & Cookie!” – Colleen
Eggplant
The Best Ratatouille
Gluten free and vegan (just depends on your accompaniments)
“I was totally blown away by this Ratatouille recipe…so simple with so much flavor! I picked this particular recipe because I have a basil plant that went into overload so I have an abundance of basil and wanted to use it up before the season runs out on us. I totally underestimated the power of “roasting”! Thank you so much!!” – Dessa
Fennel
Spring Carrot, Radish and Quinoa Salad with Herbed Avocado
Gluten free and easily vegan
“I LOVED this salad! Made it twice in one week. I skipped the honey in the dressing and used pumpkin seeds in stead. Great combination of favors and textures. This salad made me a follower of your recipes!” – Lisa
Grapes
Roasted Grape Crostini with Brie and Fresh Thyme
Just vegetarian
I need you to try these crostini and let me know how you like them!
That’s my only recipe with grapes so far. More to come.
Hardy greens (arugula,
chard, collard greens & spinach)
Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing
Gluten free and easily vegan
“This Mexican salad is absolutely delicious! The dressing is to die for. Even my 26 year old son who is not a big salad eater really enjoyed it and even took some home with him. He especially liked the dressing. I added two cups of cooked quinoa to make it a little more filling as well as some fresh corn I needed to use up. I have been eating it all week for lunch and it is just perfect. I used a rather large jalapeno but removed the seeds etc and the dressing is not too spicy but has a little kick to it.” – Annika
Kale
Mediterranean Roasted Sweet Potato & Farro Salad
Easily vegan
“I made this for supper tonight, and I love it! There might not be leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. My grocery store didn’t have sumac, but I’ll have to get some for next time, because I’m definitely making it again!” – Emilie
Melons
Watermelon Salad with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Gluten free and easily vegan
“Wonderful refreshing summer lunch. I used an English cucumber. I was surprised how much I liked the pickled shallots. I’ll make again as long as watermelon is in season.” – Allison
More watermelon recipes » (also cantaloupe and these honeydew margaritas)
Mushrooms
Arugula and Cremini Quiche with Gluten-Free Almond Meal Crust
Gluten free
“You just won my meat-eating friends over with this quiche! They’re going to be running over to C+K now for recipes! Thanks again for another hit! It’s so easy to be a “chef” with these fail proof recipes!” – Deepthi
Pears
Pear, Raspberry and Goat Cheese Crostini
Just vegetarian
“This morning I was frantically running around the kitchen in desperate search for a healthy lunch to pack. So you saved me! It took me 4 minutes to prep all of this and take it to-go. Now I’m sitting quietly at my desk waiting for lunch time. Is it here yet?” – Sylvia
Peppers
Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
Gluten free and vegan
“The best curry ever!
Fabulous and so quick and easy to make.” – Gillian
More bell pepper recipes » (also jalapeños)
Pumpkin
Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
Easily gluten free and easily vegan
“I made this last night and it was quick, easy, and delicious! My children (7 & 10) loved it and they can be a tough crowd to please :-)” – Stefanie
Potatoes
Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
Gluten-free and vegan
Please roast up these potatoes and comment on the post to let me know how they turn out!
Radishes
Mega Crunchy Romaine Salad with Quinoa
Gluten free and vegan
“Eating this salad right now and I am blown away! So crunchy and the dressing is awesome! Perfect for today’s summer weather.
Thanks for all your awesome recipes!! :)” – Frances
Squash (summer & winter varieties)
Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad
Easily gluten free and vegan
“Made this salad last night and it was a huge hit with the crowd! Substituted quinoa for wheat berries because that’s what I had at the time. The best part is eating leftovers for lunch today! Whenever I need some ideas for dinner I check out your recipes and I have loved all of them. Thanks for sharing!” – Gillian
More butternut squash recipes » (also delicata squash, acorn squash, yellow squash and zucchini)
Sweet Potatoes
Spicy Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls
Gluten free and vegan
“Loved this! Perfect supper with wind chills below zero. I’ll be making that rice again and again. Can’t wait to taste it tomorrow, I think it will taste even better. Thanks for this great recipe.” – Kathleen
More resources you might appreciate: 23 make-ahead breakfast recipes, 45 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You can shop my essential kitchen equipment here. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe inspiration!
Wow thanks for so many delicious looking recipes! I can’t wait to get cooking :)
Thank you, Brooklyn!
What a beautiful list of recipes for October — I love how fresh and enticing you’ve made everything! Just gorgeous photos and mouthwatering combinations! It’s 10 in the morning and my stomach is now grumbling!
Success! :) Thank you, Lisa!
You are very creative. Thank you for the ideas ! Photos are great, too !
Thank you! :)
Amazing collection of recipes. Loved all of them!
Thanks, Megha!
Beets, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, pumpkin, bell peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, eggplant and mushrooms are my faves!
I would really love to cook more with beet root as well – you have some great ideas, I will definitely try!
Amazing recipes! The watermelon mimosa looks incredible even without a review! :)
I love that you made the nutritional information available but not in your face. I honestly just prefer to eat real, whole foods and listen to when I’m full and only look at nutritional information to make sure I’m getting enough B12 (which I’m notoriously low on) and iron (since I donate blood regularly).
I love your posts, they are clearly from someone who actually cooks!
I have been baking, cooking and in Food Management for 25 + years.
While pondering retirement I would like to start my next chapter. Thinking of testing recipes for cookbook authors. Not really sure how to get started, any ideas?
Thank you!
Hi Sue, I’m sorry for the slow response! I know that there are professional recipe testers out there, and it sounds like a fun freelance job. You might join the IACP—their online forums and conferences are great resources.
I love that your What to Cook series serves as a recipe round up and update on all things you’re interested in.
It’s so interesting to hear your VivalitiDNA news! We have all sorts of genetic predispositions but it is totally possible to change our future through healthy eating! Your outlook on that is what inspired me a year and a half ago to incorporate more plants. I’m now a whole year into a vegetarian/plant-based diet :)
I’m also trying to dive into natural skincare and makeup but I don’t know where to begin! Thanks for the website suggestion and I hope to hear about what products you like. ♥
Thank you so much, Melanie! Really happy to hear that my work has inspired you to eat more veggies! I’ll be sure to share my new skincare favorites in next month’s roundup. :)
Omg, Kate! Thanks for sharing these because I seriously want to try them all.
Fantastic post, as per usual! I am really curious about your experience with Vivaliti-it looks fascinating, and I’m thinking about purchasing a kit. Would you recommend it??
Thank you, Lena! I’m sorry for the slow response, I’ve been behind on comments lately. I thought the Vivaliti results were very interesting (and unexpected). They provide quite a bit of detail. The phone call to discuss the results was helpful, too. I struggle when I ask myself if I would want to know that the odds were stacked against me if I were, for example, trying to lose weight. But, I love health/nutrition/research, so it was super interesting to me. I know we’re just beginning to understand how genetics and our environment interact, and I’m sure that these tests will continue to evolve and offer more accurate and insightful information over the years to come.
This has nothing to do with your post, but I had to tell you anyway! I had some strawberries languishing in the fridge, so I roasted them (in your cookbook) and had them with baguettes and brie and basil. So good! Thank you!
Yum! Now I want roasted strawberries! :)
LOVE Mushrooms! I tried out the Arugula and Cremini Quiche minus the almond crust (had to substitute due to allergies) and it was AMAZING! And of course, the potatoes. I made the breakfast potatoes as a sub for hash browns in a Full English Breakfast over the weekend. Wonderful!
Thanks, Amanda! Sounds like you’ve been enjoying some epic breakfasts lately! I’ll try to publish more mushroom recipes for you soon.
Love your recipes thank you, once again vegetarian!
You are welcome, Mary!
Love your recipes, super delicious. Especially that everything fits my family needs. We are gluten free soy free thank you!
You’re welcome, Amanda!
Such an amazing list! At first, I’m going to try the Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup for my flu xo
– Natalie
Oh no! Feel better. Soup usually helps me.
I’d be interested in freezer meals like the link that you included from you. :)
Thanks Giselle! I will think about doing one. I don’t freeze all my recipes, but I think my enchiladas and lasagna would be good choices, as would my lentil soup and quinoa soup.
Ooh, I have been slaving away with sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, pumpkin, and all the leafy greens I can get my hands on! Not to mention–onions and garlic with everything. EVERYTHING. LOL!
Soup is the fist thing came to my mind, when i was reading your note.
Also, i would like to learn some food with different squashes.
I love getting your fall/October list every year. It reminds me of what is coming into season! It all looks so delicious.
wow, amazing! How can I resist such colorful and flavorful dishes? You are the inspiration for me to start a vegetarian.
Hi Kate, I have used your Granola recipe ever since I got your book last year. But today I made a smoothie bowl and changed it up to banana and blueberries with my granola as a topping and a few of my own home grown grapes. Delicious.
These recipes look delicious!! You are my go-to blog for vegetarian dishes. And congratulations on Baby Grace!! She is adorable. :)
Thank you, Megan!
Congratulations <3 Grace is beautiful!! You'll be such a wonderful mother.
Thank you, Clarissa!
Congratulations on having your baby! I must admit I was visiting this page often to see if you posted an update about it. :) Enjoy your baby girl. She looks so sweet! And remember to take care of yourself too.
Thank you, Jackie!
Grace is beautiful! Big congrats to the new mommy.
Thank you, Sue! I appreciate it :)
A beautiful, healthy baby! Congratulations!
Thank you, Maria!
Congratulations!!! Wishing you a speedy recovery and all the baby snuggles!
Thank you!
Congratulations on the birth of your baby girl! Thanks for the awesome blog and recipes. You have graced the world with your love of food and family! Best wishes
Thank you, Melissa!
Baby Grace is beautiful, wishing you all the best!
Thank you, Michele!
Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl, cherish every moment they grow up so fast.
I can hardly wait to try the cremini quiche.
Thank you, Leanne!
Awww!! Grace is sooo beautiful and precious!!! Congratulations!!! This part of your and your husband’s new journey will be awesome!! Enjoy every minute!!
Thank you, Dell!
Kate, Grace is beautiful. Congratulations, Mama. And thank you for sending us recipes for October even after having a baby!
Thank you, Debra!
Congratulations! She is precious!
Long, long time follower
What does Cookie think of her new sister?!
Thank you! She is curious, but so great with her.
Your recipe selections have enhanced my repertoire, which was getting boring. Thank you. My husband and I are enjoying more variety in our meals. Contrary to popular belief, food prep for vegetarian is not overly onerous. I plan a few menus for the week, shop accordingly, and cook dinner while listening to the radio. My cholesterol level has gone down since eating mostly vegetarian. Life is good!
I’m glad they are helpful for you, Kerry!
Very happy to get this email and even happier to hear about the arrival of your beautiful daughter, Grace! Congratulations to you and your husband! Hope Cookie thinks she is wonderful too. Your recipes are just wonderful… they all look great. Take care, and once again, congratulations!
Thank you, Susan!
Congratulations! Beautiful Grace looks darn near perfect!
I love your recipes, too. Never had a stinker and I recommend your site all the time. ❤️
Thank you, Jone! I appreciate your support.
Congrats on your sweet babe! She is perfect and so so precious.
So glad you can leave the last 9 stressful months behind and start enjoying life and your new sweet fam. Thank you for all of the lovely recipes!
XO
Thank you, Elena!
I ALWAYS love your recipes and use your cookbook more often than any other I own – even though we are not vegetarian. I never comment – but have to CONGRATULATE you today on that beautiful, precious daughter! Enjoy every minute with her – I for one will never be upset if you are a few days late posting:)
Thank you, Nicol! We are thrilled. I appreciate your support of my blog and cookbook.
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! So happy for you. Thanks for all these recipes – I’m definitely trying a few.
Thank you, Sue!
Congratulations Kate! Grace is beautiful! What a blessing for you and family. Your recipes inspire me so much! I share your blog with almost everyone I know! Can’t wait to try the delicious looking soups and salads! Best wishes! Deborah
Thank you, Deborah! Be sure to comment on the recipes you try and let me know what you think.
Congratulations & Greetings from the UK thanks for all the fabulous posts… stay well, happy & safe
Thank you, Nina!
Oh my goodness! Congratulations on your beautiful new baby! ❤ Love her name ;-)
Thank you, Grace! :)
Your new family addition is positively beautiful – what a pretty little girl. Do enjoy this time with her and always take walks – it’ll make her be curious about what’s around her plus enjoying time with mom and dad.
Thank you, Chris!
Congratulations :)
Thank you, Lauren.
Yummy! What a delicious selection of recipes cannot wait to try them all. So happy to see your sweet and healthy little girl! My little one is turning 11 months this October and I can relate to the stressful pregnancy, but he is doing so well. Wishing you all the best on your journey of motherhood and to your family. Thank you for always keeping our family well fed and coming back for more!
Thank you, April! I’m delighted you are enjoying the blog. I’m sorry you had a stressful pregnancy, but glad to know everything is ok.
Congratulations on your baby girl! Welcome to motherhood!❤️
Thank you, Lisa!
Grace is beautiful! Congratulations on this sweet, sweet addition to your family!
Thank you!
CONGRATULATIONS!! What a beautiful, dear baby girl. Enjoy Every minute, even the ones that have you up all night, they grow up oh so fast.
Fall recipes, all excellent, can’t wait to try them.
Thank you for sharing your little one, brought back some lovey memories.
Thank you, Jane!
Congratulations! Grace is a beautiful girl, just like her mom! She has the perfect name. Sending hugs and God’s blessings! OH , and I can’t wait to try some of these recipes :)
Thank you!